Draco X Reader ▸ HIS PRIDE | ✓

Y4 C5~ Dating The Chosen One -_-

"What's this?" I dropped the newest article of The Daily Prophet - which my father had so kindly sent to me - onto the table in front of Harry, crossing my arms with a vexed expression. The furious howler I received from my father echoed in my mind.

'You must like making me upset. Who do you think you are; making a mockery of the Shade name with your foolish actions and stupidity. I've let it slide time and time again but you never learn. One last chance, I'm giving you. Once last chance you have before you are made useful to this family. Watch yourself. And for Merlin's sake control those blasted friends of yours. They're tarnishing our name more than yourself.'

Harry's spoon was held unmoving at the opening of his mouth as he stared up at me with a confronted yet befuddled gaze. His eyes slowly dragged down to the animated front cover of The Daily Prophet. It displayed Harry and I laughing at the World Cup, leaning over the railing and looking at each other with cheesy grins. The worst of it was the title - 'THE CHOSEN ONE CHOOSES LOVE'.

Harry's spoon clattered to the table, emitting a loud sound after slipping from his grip. His jaw was dropped open. The moving cover of ourselves continued to smile, like it found the whole circumstance funny.

Harry looked like a deer in headlights, wordlessly telling me he had no knowledge of this. He struggled to find words, arms making defensive gestures. The stress accumulated within my chest tightly. His silence made me more anxious.

"Harry what did you say to her?" My voice was an octave away from being screechy. I was so overwhelmed by the unwanted attention - not to mention getting screamed at through a howler over it. What the actual hell.

"I-I didn't say anything!" He stressed, grabbing the article and urgently reading through it, mouthing the things he apparently said during his interview with Rita Skeeter. Honestly, what a wench. I hate her. "I didn't say that - she was just asking me personal questions about my friends and before I knew it she overwhelmed me and I said some things-"

"What. Things." I was so pissed this was happening I couldn't help myself from interrupting his excessive rambling.

He dropped The Daily Prophet back onto the table, as if any sort of contact with it would have him contract a virus. After a moment he looked at me, defeatedly. "I'm really sorry."

I could tell he was just as overwhelmed as I was, and his piercing eyes made me feel bad, the twat. I made an elongated sigh, grabbed the article, stared him dead in the eye, and tore it in half, then tore it once more. He watched with surprised eyes.

"Don't worry about it, Harry," I conceded, irritation of the whole thing beginning to subside. There was no point being upset anymore. The damage was done, can't do anything about in now. "It was heat in the moment. I know you didn't mean it." He didn't seem convinced, but nodded reluctantly.

Harry glanced over my shoulder with a look mixed of bitterness and interest. I turned around to see what it was that's got his attention so closely. When I did I'm struck with realisation and dread; noting The Daily Prophet, the source of the problem, held within Draco's clenched fists. My heart is trapped in my throat, and I had the sudden urge to explain it's just a misunderstanding.

Draco stared at me dead in the eyes, jaw clenching. Much like Harry earlier, I was at a loss for words, throat having gone dry. I held my breath, a few tense moments passing. Before anything is said, The Daily Prophet is being aggressively discarded to the floor and Draco was storming out the hall.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The Weasley twins burst through the doors of the Great Hall, exuberantly breaking the relaxed atmosphere the hall once had. "Thank you, thank you. Well, lads, we've done it."